Notre Dame Football: Quenton Nelson worth top pick in 2018 NFL Draft
With the 2018 NFL Draft just around the corner, Notre Dame football’s star offensive guard Quenton Nelson will come off the board very early on.
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A top talent from the Notre Dame football program has worked his way into the discussion of a lock for a top five pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. There’s some uncertainty as to how some of the top offensive lineman will fare in the NFL, namely Texas Longhorns offensive tackle Connor Williams. Largely due to his injury history, Williams might fall out of the top 10 that his talent would have kept him in otherwise.
The two safest bets in the offensive line pool are Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey. Nelson is the top guard on the NFL Draft, overall. McGlinchey and Williams will fight for the top tackle picked this time around.
Yet, with Nelson as Notre Dame’s top player primed for a very early first round selection, he’s the focus here. Nelson helped the Fighting Irish become one of college football’s most dominant ground games in 2017, in front of star running back Josh Adams.
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He’ll have a quick turnaround time adjusting to the speed of the NFL. There was some debate, before the 2017 NFL Draft, if Nelson would end up leaving South Bend a year early. However, he decided to stay and show off his skills one more time.
Strengths
Nelson’s list of strengths can go on for a while. He’ll make an immediate difference in the ground game for whichever NFL team takes him early in the first round. As a tremendously strong athlete, Nelson will continue to plow defenders out of the way at the point of attack.
Outside of his solid presence on the line, clearing the way for his running back, Nelson is almost just as good in pass protection. He used his solid strength and overall size to stay with some of the better interior pass rushers.
The speed for an offensive guard and solid footwork also sets Nelson apart, especially compared to some of the top guards in the 2017 NFL Draft. Forrest Lamp was the first guard selected in last year’s Draft, and Nelson is leaps and bounds ahead of him talent wise.
Areas of Improvement
There’s a lot less in this category to talk about for Nelson. But, saying that he has nowhere to improve his game is a silly thought. Nelson is still better in run blocking than he is pass protection. Developing his game to the speed of NFL interior pass rushers is key to a successful career.
A few injury issues throughout his college career could also put some doubts in the minds of NFL front offices. That should not be too much of a concern though. And, sometimes Nelson does slow down when he reaches the second level of a defense. For an offensive lineman who will be relied upon so heavily for an NFL ground attack, that part of his game needs to get better too.
Next: Latest pre-Combine first round NFL Mock Draft
Draft Projection
The need for offensive lineman in the top five picks is maybe not as prevalent as in year’s past. However, there’s a few teams that stick out as potential destinations for Nelson that have a huge need for adding lineman to the mix.
The Indianapolis Colts would be the most likely landing spot for Nelson, if any team picks him in the top five. A few other teams that could pick him up are the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and Chicago Bears.